Mothers' experience of infant massage in child health care: A qualitative interview study

TL;DR

This study explores how mothers in Sweden experience infant massage and its impact on their relationship with their child.

Contribution

The study provides new qualitative insights into the role of infant massage in parent-child bonding and the support from child health care nurses.

Findings

Infant massage fosters joy, tenderness, and security in the parent-child relationship.

Child health care nurses play a crucial role in guiding mothers through infant massage practices.

Mothers found infant massage helpful for managing child anxiety and stomach problems.

Abstract

To investigate mothers' experience of infant massage.

This was an exploratory‐descriptive qualitative study based on individual interviews.

A qualitative interview study with an inductive approach was used according to the COREQ guidelines. The participants in the study were mothers (n = 11) residing in Sweden who received training in infant massage from the child health care nurse in the child health care services. The transcribed interviews were analysed using a qualitative content analysis.

The collected material resulted in two categories and eight subcategories. The categories were learning infant massage and using infant massage as a tool. The eight subcategories were massaging in a parent group, massaging at home, massage movements and the child health care nurse's supporting hand, reading the child's signals, creating time and relaxation together, interaction and connection between the child and the parent, relief from stomach problems and anxiety and continuing to massage the older child.

The study showed that mothers experienced that the relationship created through infant massage brought more joy, tenderness and security to the child. The child health care nurse had an important role in supporting the mothers, especially when it came to different views on doing infant massage at home and in groups.

Mothers with experience of infant massage were interviewed.